Formal Fashion: Harrods Holiday 2013 Lineup

Representatives of Harrods recently asked me to write a paid post about some of the formal menswear on offer from the luxury department store and I figured it was about time I ventured into the realm of formal fashions. While I will always champion traditional style over contemporary fashion, it seems like a good idea to check in on the latter every now and then simply as a matter of general interest.

So here’s a look some of the interesting options available from Harrods this holiday season. (Just try to overlook the unshaven models with uncovered shirt navels, unhemmed jacket sleeves and/or unsuitable dress shoes.)

Dark blue continues to be a popular colour on in formal collections these days and works quite nicely in the context of plush velvet dinner jackets. From left to right: Harrods (£799), Z Zegna (£825) and Lanvin (£1,650).

The Harrods of London Dinner Suit (£599) is both classic and affordable.

A bottle green Richard James Shawl Collar Mohair Suit ( £849).

BOSS Black Man Dinner Suit (£650). The stately peak lapels aren’t enough to rescue the jacket from the busy, proletarian aesthetics of the two front buttons and three flap pockets.

Byard Tailored Evening Suit by Paul Smith London (£850). The jacket’s button stance seems awfully high, to the point of being more aligned with the nipples than the waist.

2 Comments

It seems that, at least, the jackets are cut, and fit the models such, that they mostly lie closed across the navel, even if the navel is uncovered. I also really like the blue herringbone, but I just cannot fathom anyone paying $6000 for anything off the rack. I have a fantastic tailor who could make me a jacket like that for less than a third of that, and it would fit better!